January 9, 1913 Yorba Linda, California- April 22, 1994 New York City, New York
Political Party: Republican
Terms: Two Terms 1969-1972 and 1973- resignation in 1974
Vice President: Spiro T. Agnew (1969-1972) and Gerald R. Ford (1973-1974)
Thematic Context
Nixon’s presidency was an eventful time for American culture, full of many positive and many negative events. However, there are many defining moments of America’s cultural history that took place at the beginning of Nixon’s presidency. One major event was the moon landing. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon with the astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, speaking his famous quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This achievement was televised to millions of watchers, who witnessed the historical event live, and it hugely shaped American culture, patriotism, scientific discovery, and thoughts about what lies beyond the Earth. It had many both positive and negative reactions from the American people, sparking everything from attempts to sue astronauts for reading from religious texts and nationalist compositions such as “American Moon.” The astronauts involved with the Apollo 11 mission become the first pioneers to worlds beyond the planet, and sparked a huge movement in a culture in which more and more was becoming possible.
Another event that held great cultural significance was the Woodstock Festival of 1969, a concert that lasted from August 15 to 18 held on a dairy farm just outside of White Lake, New York. The “rock ‘n roll” concert, which was also filled with sex and drugs, is most iconic as a representation of the “hippie” culture of the time period. Though many problems arose with organizing the concert, the crowded, muddy concert was an enormous success. The “Three Days of Peace and Music” showcased artists like Joan Baez, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, and it is estimated that around 500,000 people attended. Though Woodstock ended up leaving the organizers in incredible debts, it was one of the richest events in cultural and musical history.
Thesis
Nixon is one of America’s most famous presidents, but only for his disgrace in the Watergate Scandals. While his corruption is still not something to be applauded, most of Nixon’s actual presidential actions were beneficial to the United States. Though the Vietnam War was not all that successful, Nixon still had much to do with positive actions in the war involving the withdrawal of American troops. He also helped expand welfare programs, put programs in place to protect the environment, and lowered the voting age. Counting out Nixon’s political scandals, Nixon deserves a B- for his real actions as president. Though events like the Watergate Scandal must be in mind when evaluating a presidential figure, they do not take away from the actions Nixon took. Still, including such scandals would lower Nixon’s final grade to a D.
Goals
The issue of the Vietnam War was an incredibly important issue in both of Nixon’s elections, so it was very unsurprising that one of his goals was continuing to victory in the war. Nixon also wanted to withdraw the thousands of troops over time so that the South Vietnamese would fight their own war with American assistance but without American bloodshed. Complete withdrawal from Vietnam was achieved by 1972. However, he was not able to achieve victory in the war. Politics did not play much into the issue of the Vietnam War because both parties supported some form of continuing the war to achieve victory. Nixon cannot be entirely to blame for not reaching this goal. One of Nixon’s other goals was for more peaceful foreign relations, which he had some success in with different policies, treaties, and agreements, such as the Seabed Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Treaty. Many of Nixon’s other goals as president were not nearly as prominent as those associated with the Vietnam War.
Relationship with Congress
Throughout Nixon’s presidency, the Democrats held the majority in both houses of Congress. However, Nixon did not always have a terrible relationship with Congress. Congress played into Nixon’s approval of the expansion of many welfare programs, such as Food Stamps, Medicaid, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and raising Social Security benefits for the elderly. Though Nixon was worked fairly well with Congress, many changes during Nixon’s time seemed much more Democratic than Republican. Also, after the Watergate Scandals, Nixon’s relationship with Congress soured, even with his own party, which led to his eventual resignation.
Outcomes
Nixon’s actions in Environmental Protection were some with the most positive outcomes. Most important was the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. This agency was established to control pollution. The EPA also began a time period in America where there was much concern for the environment after many years of careless pollution. Other Acts included the Environmental Quality Policy Act of 1969, which organized environmental impact statements for all new federal programs, the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970, which aimed to reduce water pollution from nuclear power plants and offshore oil facilities, the National Air Quality Standards Act of 1970, which established federal clean air standards that states would need to meet, the Resource Recovery Act of 1970, which encouraged recycling, and the Water Pollution Act of 1972, which provided funding for local waste treatment plants to reduce industrial waste in American water. These acts had a great impact on protecting the environment, which was something America vitally needed.
Nixon inherited the Vietnam War, and its continuation was practically inevitable. Many of Nixon’s actions regarding the war had positive outcomes. He was successfully able to reduce American involvement in the war, which was able to protect many American lives without dropping out of the war. Of course, if Nixon wanted to drop out of the war, he would not likely have been elected and he would not likely get approval to do so. Therefore, Nixon cannot be held responsible for all 58,000 American lives lost, the 304,000 wounded Americans, or the price of $110 billion. The cost of the war, both in blood and money, was not the only negative aspect of American involvement. America saw very little success by the time of the Paris peace agreement signed in 1973. It is possible that a different strategy could have led to American success against Vietnam, but the outcomes under Nixon were very negative for the United States. Even though this is definitely the most negative aspect of Nixon’s presidency, it should be noted that much of the war was out of his hands.
Future Influence
While there were many influential parts of Nixon’s presidency, one of the most influential in the world of politics was the ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This allows more young adults to vote in elections that will affect them, and made the demographic of younger voters much larger. In the future, politicians would need to worry about appealing to younger people. Even if young people are not always the most important in elections and voter turnout may not be as great as it should be, this Amendment gave young adults a voice in their own government.
Conclusion
Nixon’s presidency is one of the most infamous in American history. It is difficult to say if the country was better off at the end of his presidency. The country was likely worse off in economic and foreign issues because of the Vietnam War, Nixon still took some actions to improve these issues, and many were already in place at the beginning of his presidency because the war had already been started. Nixon improved America in many ways with new domestic programs to help needy groups and the environment, and helped create more peaceful foreign relations with many of his treaties. Nixon was anything but a neutral president, but his actions often cancelled each other out. Still, America was probably better off after Nixon’s presidency. Even though Nixon is remembered as one of the country’s worst presidents, most of his actions were beneficial to America.
Works Cited
Bailey, Thomas A., David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.
Chaikin, Andrew. "Live from the Moon: The Societal Impact of Apollo." Societal impact of Spaceflight in context. NASA, 2007. 53-66. Web. <http://history.nasa.gov/sp4801-chapter4.pdf>.
DeGregorio, William A. The complete book of U.S. presidents. 6th ed. New York: Gramercy Books, 2005. Print.
January 9, 1913 Yorba Linda, California- April 22, 1994 New York City, New York
Political Party: Republican
Terms: Two Terms 1969-1972 and 1973- resignation in 1974
Vice President: Spiro T. Agnew (1969-1972) and Gerald R. Ford (1973-1974)
Thematic Context
Nixon’s presidency was an eventful time for American culture, full of many positive and many negative events. However, there are many defining moments of America’s cultural history that took place at the beginning of Nixon’s presidency. One major event was the moon landing. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon with the astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, speaking his famous quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This achievement was televised to millions of watchers, who witnessed the historical event live, and it hugely shaped American culture, patriotism, scientific discovery, and thoughts about what lies beyond the Earth. It had many both positive and negative reactions from the American people, sparking everything from attempts to sue astronauts for reading from religious texts and nationalist compositions such as “American Moon.” The astronauts involved with the Apollo 11 mission become the first pioneers to worlds beyond the planet, and sparked a huge movement in a culture in which more and more was becoming possible.
Another event that held great cultural significance was the Woodstock Festival of 1969, a concert that lasted from August 15 to 18 held on a dairy farm just outside of White Lake, New York. The “rock ‘n roll” concert, which was also filled with sex and drugs, is most iconic as a representation of the “hippie” culture of the time period. Though many problems arose with organizing the concert, the crowded, muddy concert was an enormous success. The “Three Days of Peace and Music” showcased artists like Joan Baez, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, and it is estimated that around 500,000 people attended. Though Woodstock ended up leaving the organizers in incredible debts, it was one of the richest events in cultural and musical history.
Thesis
Nixon is one of America’s most famous presidents, but only for his disgrace in the Watergate Scandals. While his corruption is still not something to be applauded, most of Nixon’s actual presidential actions were beneficial to the United States. Though the Vietnam War was not all that successful, Nixon still had much to do with positive actions in the war involving the withdrawal of American troops. He also helped expand welfare programs, put programs in place to protect the environment, and lowered the voting age. Counting out Nixon’s political scandals, Nixon deserves a B- for his real actions as president. Though events like the Watergate Scandal must be in mind when evaluating a presidential figure, they do not take away from the actions Nixon took. Still, including such scandals would lower Nixon’s final grade to a D.
Goals
The issue of the Vietnam War was an incredibly important issue in both of Nixon’s elections, so it was very unsurprising that one of his goals was continuing to victory in the war. Nixon also wanted to withdraw the thousands of troops over time so that the South Vietnamese would fight their own war with American assistance but without American bloodshed. Complete withdrawal from Vietnam was achieved by 1972. However, he was not able to achieve victory in the war. Politics did not play much into the issue of the Vietnam War because both parties supported some form of continuing the war to achieve victory. Nixon cannot be entirely to blame for not reaching this goal. One of Nixon’s other goals was for more peaceful foreign relations, which he had some success in with different policies, treaties, and agreements, such as the Seabed Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Treaty. Many of Nixon’s other goals as president were not nearly as prominent as those associated with the Vietnam War.
Relationship with Congress
Throughout Nixon’s presidency, the Democrats held the majority in both houses of Congress. However, Nixon did not always have a terrible relationship with Congress. Congress played into Nixon’s approval of the expansion of many welfare programs, such as Food Stamps, Medicaid, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and raising Social Security benefits for the elderly. Though Nixon was worked fairly well with Congress, many changes during Nixon’s time seemed much more Democratic than Republican. Also, after the Watergate Scandals, Nixon’s relationship with Congress soured, even with his own party, which led to his eventual resignation.
Outcomes
Nixon’s actions in Environmental Protection were some with the most positive outcomes. Most important was the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. This agency was established to control pollution. The EPA also began a time period in America where there was much concern for the environment after many years of careless pollution. Other Acts included the Environmental Quality Policy Act of 1969, which organized environmental impact statements for all new federal programs, the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970, which aimed to reduce water pollution from nuclear power plants and offshore oil facilities, the National Air Quality Standards Act of 1970, which established federal clean air standards that states would need to meet, the Resource Recovery Act of 1970, which encouraged recycling, and the Water Pollution Act of 1972, which provided funding for local waste treatment plants to reduce industrial waste in American water. These acts had a great impact on protecting the environment, which was something America vitally needed.
Nixon inherited the Vietnam War, and its continuation was practically inevitable. Many of Nixon’s actions regarding the war had positive outcomes. He was successfully able to reduce American involvement in the war, which was able to protect many American lives without dropping out of the war. Of course, if Nixon wanted to drop out of the war, he would not likely have been elected and he would not likely get approval to do so. Therefore, Nixon cannot be held responsible for all 58,000 American lives lost, the 304,000 wounded Americans, or the price of $110 billion. The cost of the war, both in blood and money, was not the only negative aspect of American involvement. America saw very little success by the time of the Paris peace agreement signed in 1973. It is possible that a different strategy could have led to American success against Vietnam, but the outcomes under Nixon were very negative for the United States. Even though this is definitely the most negative aspect of Nixon’s presidency, it should be noted that much of the war was out of his hands.
Future Influence
While there were many influential parts of Nixon’s presidency, one of the most influential in the world of politics was the ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This allows more young adults to vote in elections that will affect them, and made the demographic of younger voters much larger. In the future, politicians would need to worry about appealing to younger people. Even if young people are not always the most important in elections and voter turnout may not be as great as it should be, this Amendment gave young adults a voice in their own government.
Conclusion
Nixon’s presidency is one of the most infamous in American history. It is difficult to say if the country was better off at the end of his presidency. The country was likely worse off in economic and foreign issues because of the Vietnam War, Nixon still took some actions to improve these issues, and many were already in place at the beginning of his presidency because the war had already been started. Nixon improved America in many ways with new domestic programs to help needy groups and the environment, and helped create more peaceful foreign relations with many of his treaties. Nixon was anything but a neutral president, but his actions often cancelled each other out. Still, America was probably better off after Nixon’s presidency. Even though Nixon is remembered as one of the country’s worst presidents, most of his actions were beneficial to America.
Works Cited
Bailey, Thomas A., David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.
Chaikin, Andrew. "Live from the Moon: The Societal Impact of Apollo." Societal impact of Spaceflight in context. NASA, 2007. 53-66. Web. <http://history.nasa.gov/sp4801-chapter4.pdf>.
DeGregorio, William A. The complete book of U.S. presidents. 6th ed. New York: Gramercy Books, 2005. Print.
"First Explorers on the Moon." Editorial. National Geographic Dec. 1969: n. pag. National Geographic Magazine. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/1969/12/moon-landing/astronauts-text>.
"Party Division." U.S. Senate. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm>.
"Party Divisions." Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Art & History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history/partyDiv.aspx>.
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "The Woodstock Festival Of 1969." About.com 20th Century History. About.com, n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/1960s/p/woodstock.htm>.
"Vietnam War 1969-1975." The History Place. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2013. <http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1969.html>.